Esperanza The Story of a Hero Essay Example

Esperanza: The Story of a Hero Essay In his 1949 work, The Hero with a Thousand Faces, Joseph Campbell writes, â€Å"The usual hero adventure begins with someone from whom something has been taken, or who feels there is something lacking in the normal experience available or permitted to the members of society.† According to Campbell, the hero â€Å"then takes off on a series of adventures beyond the ordinary, either to recover some life-giving elixir.† The hero narrative is â€Å"usually a cycle, a coming and returning.† In other words, the hero journey begins when something in the ordinary world is either missing or taken, and then the hero proceeds into a cycle that will compel him or her to evolve in order to find what he or she has been looking for. Author Maria Amparo Escandon follows this narrative structure in her novel Esperanza’s Box of Saints, which tells the story of Esperanza, a woman who initially believes that her daughter has died. Her spiritual journey begins when Saint Judas Tadeo appears to her and tells her that her daughter is alive. So begins the desperate search for her daughter, her hero’s journey, demonstrating her ability to transform herself by overcoming seemingly insurmountable obstacles. Esperanza’s story begins not as a hero, but as a widow who has just lost her only daughter. Years ago, her husband died and she was left to raise her daughter alone. Now she has learned that her daughter died unexpectedly after a routine medical procedure, and she is consumed with grief and hopelessness. It is at this moment, perhaps the worst moment in her life, that her ordinary life takes an extraordinary turn. While cooking for her daughter’s funeral, the patron saint of desperate and lost causes, Saint Judas Tadeo, appears to Esperanza and tells her that her daughter is not dead, and calls upon Esperanza to find her. This vision awakens in Esperanza a sense of purpose and mission.Her best friend, Soledad, refuses to believe her, believing instea We will write a custom essay sample on Esperanza: The Story of a Hero specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Esperanza: The Story of a Hero specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Esperanza: The Story of a Hero specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer